Diffusion well construction



June 25, 1968 c. L. ZEMSKY DIFFUSION WELL CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1966 Mr CALVIN L.ZEMSKY y g ma-u ld ATTORN Y5 June 25, 1968 c. ZEMSKY 3,389,560

DIFFUS ION WELL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 20. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CALVIN L. ZEMSKY ATTORNEYS aY7%a-L..L

June 25, 1968 c, ZEMSKY DIFFUSION WELL CONSTRUCTION S Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 20, 1966 FIG. 8

INVENTOR CALVIN L ZEMSKY BY flay! ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,389,560 DIFFUSION WELL CONSTRUCTION Calvin L. Zemsky, Jericho, N.Y., assignor to Martin Concrete Products Corp., Jericho, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 20, 1966, Ser. No. 551,510 7 Claims. (Cl. 61-41) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Concrete casing sections are joined in end-to-endrelationship by a plurality of connecting means, including a connecting bar embedded in the walls of the concrete sections along the longitudinal axis and terminated by connecting members which are also at least partially embedded in the end of the concrete sections and having another portion of the connecting member disposed at right angles to the connecting bar extending toward the external surface of the concrete sections in contact both radially and longitudinally with the end of the concrete sections.

This invention relates to a diffusion well construction comprising a series of hollow elongated casings of reinforced concrete, capable of being easily connected together when disposed in end to end relationship to form a strong, tight connection. The invention more specifically provides connecting means at least partially embedded in the concrete along the longitudinal axis thereof and terminated at opposite ends of each casing with connecting members.

Diffusion wells are well-known and extensively used for the conservation of water, particularly with respect to run-off from rainfall. The purpose of diffusion wells is to return or direct water from various sources to a water table and thus prevent it from being wasted by run-off into sewers and streams. Run-off can be collected in artificial ponds or lakes but this would not replenish the water table since the water would be incapable of diffusion through compact ground layers, such as clay, generally separating the ground level from the water table. In order to direct this run-off water into the water table, diffusion wells are constructed forming a passageway through the compact ground layers to the water table, and the runoff water pumped or otherwise placed in the well. The casings of the diffusion wells are provided with a plurality of openings to permit the water placed therein to diffuse slowly from the well into the water table.

In some instances, artificial ponds are dogs and one or more diffusion wells sunk from the bottom of the artificial pond extending into the water table to provide a conduit or passageway through the compact layers of earth. Rainfall runoff is then directed or pumped into the pond which fills the diffusion wells constructed at the bottom, and the water gradually diffuses through the slots of the well easing into the water table. By utilizing this artificial pond method, the depth or height of the wells required can be reduced and therefore also the expense. In addition fewer wells are required to handle large volume of water. A major disadvantage of the artificial pond method of collecting and preserving water is that it takes up considerable land which could otherwise be beneficially used.

In order to eliminate the artificial pond it had also been suggested to sink a series of diffusion wells directly from the ground level into the water table and interconnecting the wells so that when one becomes full it overflows into the adjacent well. The number of wells required would of course depend on the amount of rainfall it is desired to conserve for replenishing the water table. This invention is of course applicable to either the pond or direct method of use.

3,389,560 Patented June 25, 1968 ice In view of the large volumes of water to be handled and directed into the water table, diffusion 'wells generally have large internal diameters. Diffusion wells having internal diameters of 10 feet or more are quite common. This, coupled with the fact that diffusion wells are frequently sunk to great distances into the ground, to 200 feet is not unusual, require that the casing sections be quite large in thickness as well as diameter, and when constructed of concrete are extremely heavy. In constructing a diffusion well a hole of the proper diameter is first dug to a distance of about 10 feet. A first casing section is then lowered into this hole having a predetermined thickness and height which will depend upon the depth of the well being constructed. The earth is then removed below the inserted casing section and the inserted casing gradually drops as the earth is removed to leave room above for the insertion of a second casing. The second casing is then placed on top of the first casing and the digging continued to allow the descent of both casings to a distant sufficient for the insertion of a third casing. This procedure is continued until the appropriate depth has been reached and the desired amount of slotted casing extends into the water table. As the well construction proceeds, the casing sections frequently separate during the descent by gravity or hang up. This is mostly due to the friction occurring between the outer wall of the casing and the ground. Even though the first sections placed in the well are generally of larger outer diameter than the subsequent sections, cave-ins are frequent and the same friction problem is encountered. Such separations cannot be tolerated in the diffusion wells since part of it is exposed to the earth and upon placement of water in the well, the exposed earth surface will be eroded causing earth to be deposited in the well resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of the well or rendering it completely useless. If a casing section becomes hung up it is therefore necessary to take corrective measures to insure that the entire well casing is continuous and each casing section seated directly on each other. Hung up sections are also obviously dangerous to the men constructing the wells.

Various methods have been proposed in the past for eliminating this problem in construction of the diffusion wells, but these methods have either been unsuccessful or very costly.

This invention thus provides a method by which diffusion wells can be constructed which will prevent the hanging up of easing sections during construction in an economic and beneficial manner.

Broadly, this invention involves a plurality of casing sections having a plurality of connecting means comprising connecting bars embedded in the wall of the casing along its longitudinal axis terminated at opposite ends thereof by connecting members with the spacing of the connecting members at one end being equal to the spacing at the other end, and having means for connecting the sections together to prevent separation of the sections as well as possible damage to the connecting means or casing sections due to the forces placed thereon during the construction of the well.

The invention can be described in more detail by referring to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a series of casings connected together in vertical alignment by one embodiment of this invention sunk into the earth.

FIG. 2 is a cross section along the lines of 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross section along the lines of 33 of FIG. 1 showing a connecting means.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one type of connecting means in more detail.

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along the lines of 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing one alternative connecting means.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the connecting portion of a T- or Z-bar taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4, before assembly.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a connecting means for casings of different thicknesses and showing a circumferential and interlocking groove.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a connecting means embodying a Z-bar; and

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines of 10-10 of FIG. 11 showing a diferent type of Z-bar connection.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a portion of a casing section; and

FIG. 12 is a cross section taken along the lines l212 of FIG. 11 showing mating grooves.

The completed structural unit illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a typical bottom section it illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3, and a plurality of casing sections 11, f2 and 13, of varying outer diameters or having variable wall thicknesses connected to each other in a vertical end to end relationship in accordance with this invention. The connecting points between the casing sections are illus trated by the horizontal lines in FIG. 1. The horizontal lines 14 indicate the connections between the casing sections of equal outer diameter, and the lines 15 indicate the connections of sections having different outer diameters.

The slots permitting diffusion of the water from the internal area of the wells into the ground are only partially illustrated in FIG. 1 at 16 for the purposes of convenience, it being understood that these slots are distributed throughout each casing section to give the total leaching area desired in the well as is well-known in the art. The slots preferably slant downwardly from the internal area of the well as specifically shown in MG. 3 at 16.

The bottom of section 10 is of conventional construction and is designed to facilitate the sinking of the well casings and comprises a slanted portion 25, driving shield 26 and clip angles 27.

The top section 13a is also conventional and can be of any design desired. Water can be deposited in the well through the top or side as desired.

One connecting means for attaching a plurality of concrete sections together is generally illustrated at 17 and. comprises connecting bars 18 embedded in the reinforced concrete along the longitudinal axis of the concrete section and terminated at each end of each section by T- shaped connecting members 19. The T-shaped members have bases 2t! and cross bars 21 extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the casing sections or the connecting bars at the ends of each casing. Openings 22 are provided at the ends of each casing section adjacent to one end of the cross bars, thus exposing the portion of the cross bars. The openings 22 are of sufficient size to permit the insertion of the bolt and nut combination indicated at 23. The portion of the cross bar exposed is suitably provided with a hole 24 as shown in FIG. 7 for insertion of the bolt and nut combination 23. The ends of the exposed portions of the cross bars are preferably flush with the internal surface of the casing sections as shown.

The base portion of the T-bar and part of the cross bar 21 are advantageously at least partially embedded in the concrete as shown, and the top surface of each cross bar is substantially flush with the end surfaces of each casing section.

FIG. 4 shows a construction utilizing a plurality of connecting bars 18 which are suitably welded as shown at 28 to the T-bar bases 20. The members 29 are conventional concrete steel reinforcing bars. The members 30 are conventional concrete steel reinforcing bars, which are bent as shown in FIG. 4 to prevent interference in all the openings 22 which might prevent or hinder the insection of the bolt and nut combination 23.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment in which a singe connecting bar 18 is used and suitably welded at 31 to the T-bar bases 22.

Other means could of course be used to prevent the reinforcement bars 3% from interfering in the openings such as by using shorter bars or by simply cutting them at? at their ends.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the portion of the T- or Z- bars through which the actual connection is made showing the hole 24 through which the bolt is inserted. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, washers 32 can advantageously be used.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the invention using the T-bar connecting members as shown with intermeshing or mating grooves 33 provided in the concrete portions of the casing sections. The grooves of course preferably extend circumferentially around the ends of each casing in cooperative relation with each other and are advantageous in preventing lateral movement of the casing sections during the construction of the well.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative connecting means utilizing a Z-bar connecting member generally indicated at 34. The Z-bars are composed of three legs 35, 36 and 37. The legs 36 and 37 are completely embedded in the concrete as shown in this embodiment. Openings or recesses 38 are provided in the casing sections as shown to expose a sufficient part of the Z-bar legs 35 to permit the ready insertion of the nut and bolt combination 23. Connecting bars 39 are suitably welded at ll to the leg 36 of the Z-bar. The connecting bars 39 also extend through the entire length of the casing sections 41 and 42 and are a tached to additional Z-bars at the other ends in the same manner as shown in FIG. 9. Two of the Z-bars are at right angles to the ends of the casing. Grooves for interlocking the casing sections against lateral movement could also be used in this embodiment in the same manner as shown in FIG. 8 if desired.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 show still another embodiment of the invention utilizing Z-bar connecting members in a different manner than that described in FIG. 9. In FIG. 10, the casing sections 43 and 44 are provided with Z-bar connecting members generally indicated at 45 having legs 46, 47 and 48. The legs 45 are shown partially embedded in the concrete of the casings 43 and 44 and flush with the surfaces of the casings. The legs 47 are also partially embedded in the concrete as shown and welded at 49 to the connecting bars 59. The connecting bars 5% also extend throughout the length of the casing sections 43 and M and terminate at the other ends with the same Z-bar connecting members as shown in FIG. 10. Both the legs 46 and 53 are at right angles to the ends of the casing 43 and 44- and to the connecting bars 5th. The legs 48 extend outwardly toward the internal surfaces of the casings, and holes or recesses 51 are provided at the ends of each casing to provide suitable room for the insertion of the nut and bolt combination as shown. FIGS. 11 and 12 show mating grooves 53 provided at the ends of the casings 4-3 and 44- which coincide with the inserts or grooves formed by the Z-bar connecting members. This embodiment is advantageous since the Z-bars intermesh and form a right angle 52 which aids in preventing lateral movement of the sections. The grooves in the concrete portion of the casing sections would of course correspond or mate as shown in FIG. 11 with the grooves formed by the connecting members 45 to insure that the casing sections fit tightly throughout their circumference.

The connecting members have a portion disposed at right angles to the ends of the casing sections extending towards the internal surface and a sufficient amount thereof exposed to permit attachment of the exposed portions to corresponding exposed portions of an adjoining section. The connecting members also have a portion at right angles to the ends of the casings extended toward the external surface of the Casings either completely em bedded in the concrete (FIG. 9) or partially embedded therein (FIGS. 3 and In either case the portions of the connecting members extended toward the external surfaces of the casings arc in contact with the concrete and capable of transmitting forces of a substantial nature to the concrete.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 there are six connecting members evenly placed about the circumference of each concrete section, and a portion of each connecting member is in contact or embedded in the concrete. The number of connecting means embedded in each concrete section can of course be varied and will depend mainly upon the size and weight of the concrete sections to be joined together as well as the size of the connecting members. Six evenly spaced connecting means are advantageous for concrete casing sections having an internal diameter of approximately 10 feet and in which the sections vary in wall thickness from about 16 inches to 7 inches, ranging from lengths of 3 to 6 feet.

The size of the externally extending portions of the connecting members in contact with the concrete can also be varied considerably, and will also depend mainly upon the size and weight of the concrete sections to be joined together and the number of connecting means distributed within the concrete sections so long as they are able to withstand the forces to which they are to be subjected. In the particular embodiment described above using concrete sections having internal diameter of about 10 feet, varying in wall thickness of between about 16 and 7 inches, in lengths of 3 to 6 feet and having six evenly spaced connecting members, an area of contrast between the ends of the casing sections and externally extending portions of the connecting members of about 36 inches is generally adequate for most well constructions using normal structural steel having a strength of about 20,000 pounds per square inch.

The particular number of connecting means used as well as the area of contact between the concrete and the A externally extendlng portions can readily be determined by those skilled in the art for any particular well construction.

In operation of the invention, a hole is first dug of predetermined diameter to slightly over the depth of the height of the bottom casing, such as 10, to be inserted therein. The bottom casing is provided with a connecting means as shown in FIG. 3, for example. The bottom casing is placed in the hole and the earth is then dug out from below the bottom casing and the casing allowed to drop by gravity a suificient distance for the insertion of a second casing. The second casing is then lowered on top of the first casing and having the connecting members such as 19, 34 and 46 in alignment to permit attachment of the extended or exposed portions of the T- or Z-bar members as shown in the drawings. The exposed portions of the T- or Z-bars are then attached together by means of the nut and bolt combination 23, or by other suitable means, such as welding, and the earth further removed from below the bottom casing to permit the two attached casing sections to drop further into the ground a sutficient distance for the placement of a third casing.

As this operation is continued and casing upon casing placed end to end in vertcal alignment and attached, the series of casings are in effect pulled down against the friction between the outer surface of the casings and the ground.

These forces create a tension in the concrete sections tending to pull the connecting members out of the concrete or to bend them. Concrete is of course weak in tension and the connecting bars, such as 18, take up this tension and impart it to the connecting members at the top of every concrete section. In view of this fact that the connecting members have a substantial area in contact with the concrete this tension is translated into compression and places the concrete section under compression rather than tension. Compression is of course one of the best properties of concrete. Thus according to this invention the strong point of concrete, that is compression is taken advantage of, while the weak point of concrete, that is tension is substantially eliminated. Thus the connecting means according to this invention, advantageously translates tension into compression and reduces the probability of injury to the concrete sections and the connecting members.

The connecting members as previously stated are in contact with the concrete at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof in a substantial area so that the tension forces transmitted through the connecting bars are substantially translated into compression. Since the forces applied to the connecting members are distributed over a substantial portion thereof and the end surfaces of the concrete sections, possible bending or injury of the exposed portions of the connecting members is substantially eliminated.

The particular connecting means according to this invention is most advantageous where very large and heavy concrete sections are being joined together in vertical end to end alignment in the formation of a well. In some instances, the bottom portion of the well may weigh as high as tons which is capable of putting tremendous tension on the connecting members of the casings secured together at the top.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3, 9 and 10, the connecting members are of the same construction on both ends of the casings. It is understood, of course, that the connecting members could be different if desired. For example, one end of a casing can have the Z-bar connection as shown at 45 in FIG. 10, while the other end can have a T-bar connection such as shown at 19 in FIG. 3.

By preparing casing sections with connecting means according to this invention every concrete section can be identical making construction of the sections and wells easier. The placement of the extended exposed portions of the connecting members which are at right angles to the ends of the concrete sections, flush with the internal surface thereof, and also making the other extending portions flush with the ends of the concrete sections or completely embedded therein, results in connectable casings having no parts sticking out therefrom which might be damaged during transit or well construction. The particular connecting means of this invention can easily be incorporated with casings of variable wall thicknesses without altering construction methods.

The invention also facilitates the construction of deep wells rendering the use of a series of interconnected wells sunk from ground level more practical.

The type of connecting bars such as 13 shown in the drawings are standard concrete cylindrical steel reinforcing bars. The connecting bars could of course be of different shapes, for instance rectangular, or made of other structural material than the specific steel used for manufacturing the conventional reinforcing bars as will be apparent to those skilled in the art so long as the connect ing bars have sutlicient strength to withstand any forces such as tension that may be involved in the particular well construction. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, standard /4 inch diameter reinforcing bars are generally adequate for most well construction where two connecting bars are used. Where one connecting bar is used, as shown in FIG. 6, the diameter or size of the connecting bar would probably have to be greater but this of course would depend upon the size of the well being constructed and the particular forces to which the connecting bars might be subjected.

In the drawings, the connection between the T- and Z- bars and the connecting bar is made by a weld and the weld should be of sufficient strength to withstand the forces which it may encounter during well construction.

The T and Z-bars are also constructed preferably of steel of suflicient strength to withstand the forces to which they might be subjected during construction of the Well as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The connecting bars and the T- and Z-bars could of course be constructed as a unitary structure, eliminating the necessity of the weld. The reinforcing bars used as connecting bars as well as the T- and Z-bars used as connecting members can be readily purchased on the market, and it is thus economically advantageous to utilize these readily available and inexpensive items rather than to go to specifically constructed unitary materials.

The concrete casing sections according to this invention can be constructed using techniques well known in the art by simply constructing a suitable or conventional mold or form containing the reinforcing steel bars and the connecting means at the appropriate places in the form,

' blocking off those areas where holes or openings are desired or necessary (with blocks of wood for example) and pouring and setting the concrete in the form. After the concrete sections have been set or cured, the form is removed and the blocks of wood used to form the holes or openings knocked out.

While this invention has been illustrated and described with respect to a number of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that many changes can be made without departing from the generic scope of the invention as set forth herein.

I claim:

1. In a grounded well structure comprising:

(a) a plurality of concrete casing sections disposed in end to end relationship in the ground with each of said casings comprising:

(1) a hollow elongated concrete section having ends and an internal and external surface;

(2) a plurality of connecting means comprising a connecting bar at least partially embedded in the wall of the concrete section along its longitudinal axis and terminated by rigid connecting members at least partially embedded in the concrete section at each end thereof, at least a portion of said connecting member being disposed at right angles to the connecting bar and extending toward the internal surface of said concrete section, and another portion of said connecting member disposed at right angles to the connecting bar and extending a substantial distance towards the external surface of the concrete section in contact radially with the concrete;

(3) an opening in said concrete section at each end adjacent to the internal extending portion of each of the connecting members and of sufficient size to expose a sufiicient amount of the internal extending portion to permit securing of such extending portion to a corresponding extending portion of an adjoining concrete section;

(4) said connecting means terminating at opposite ends of the concrete section with the radial spacing between the connecting members at one end being equal to the spacing at the other end;

(b) and means for securing the exposed extended portions of said connecting members at the opposed ends of the adjoining casings for holding said casings in end to end relationship.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the connecting members art T-bars and the cross-bars of th T disposed at right angles to the connecting bar and flush with the ends of the concrete casing.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the connecting members are Z-bars and at least two of the legs of the Z-bars are disposed at right angles to the connecting bar and at least one leg flush with the ends of the concrete casings.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which all three legs of the Z-bars are aligned with the ends of the concrete casings.

5. A hollow elongated concrete section having ends and an internal and external surface; a plurality of connecting means comprising a connecting bar at least partially embedded in the wall of the concrete section along its longitudinal axis and terminated by rigid connecting members at least partially embedded in the concrete section at each end thereof; at least a portion of said connecting member being disposed at right angles of the connecting bar and extending toward the internal surface of said concrete section, and another portion of the connecting members disposed at right angles to the connecting bar and extending a substantial distance toward the external surface of the concrete section and in contact radially with the concrete; an opening in said concrete section at each end adjacent to the internal portion of each of the connecting members and of sufficient size to expose a suflicient amount of the internal extending portion of the connecting member to permit securing of such extending portions, said connecting means terminating at opposite ends of the concrete section with the radial spacing between the connecting members at one end being equal to the radical spacing at the other end.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which the connecting members are T-bars and the cross-bars of the T disposed at right angles to the connecting bar and fiush with the ends of the concrete casing.

7. The structure of claim 5 in which the connecting members are Z-bars and at least two of the legs of the Z-bars are disposed at right angles to the connecting bar, and at least one leg flush with the ends of the concrete casings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 984,847 2/1911 Polling 285288 1,997,809 4/1935 Cole 52587 X FOREIGN PATENTS 488,522 12/1929 Germany.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application, 1,120,402, December 1961.

JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner. 

